What is Axel?

Axel is a native macOS task manager built for developers who run AI agents. It provides a central queue where you can add tasks, dispatch them to the agent of your choice, and approve or deny every action from a single inbox. Designed to keep your agents fed and your workflow moving, Axel works out of the box with Claude, Codex, OpenCode, and Antigravity.

Who it's for

• Solo developers who want to ship faster by orchestrating multiple AI agents from one place
• Teams using AI coding tools who need a shared approval layer before agents edit files or run commands
• Power users who prefer keyboard-driven workflows and native macOS apps over browser-based interfaces

Key features

Task queue with parallel dispatch

Add tasks to a queue, pick which agent runs each one, and reorder priorities on the fly—no restart needed. Watch multiple agents execute in parallel, and change priorities while tasks are still running.

Portable skills for every agent

Store skills in ~/.config/axel/skills and Axel symlinks them to each agent's expected location when launched. A single skill file works across Claude, Codex, OpenCode, and Antigravity, so you define your workflow once.

Unified approval inbox

Every file edit, command execution, and API call requires explicit permission. The inbox shows full context—file path, diff preview, and command arguments—before you approve. Set auto-approve rules for read-only operations or small edits under a token threshold.

Native macOS experience

Built as a SwiftUI app with menu bar access, keyboard shortcuts, and Spotlight integration. Sessions persist across terminal closes, and macOS notifications ping you when an agent is blocked waiting for approval.

What stands out

"Same queue, different agents. Pick the right tool for the job."

Axel treats agents as interchangeable workers in a shared queue, so you're never locked into one tool. You can dispatch a task to Claude, switch to Codex for the next one, and let Antigravity handle something else—all from the same interface. This flexibility, combined with the portable skills system and the mandatory approval inbox, gives you fine-grained control without slowing down.

Worth checking out if…

You run multiple AI coding agents and want a single place to queue work, approve changes, and track costs. Axel is especially useful if you value keyboard shortcuts, native macOS performance, and the ability to define reusable skills that work across different agents. It's also a strong fit if you need an approval layer before agents modify files or execute commands.